Margot Gilliland

Tell us something interesting about your background?

I am a National Certified Career Counselor, Board Certified Coach, and MBTI Master Practitioner. Before working at Stanford, I spent a year traveling in South America, visiting family whom I’d never met and learning about that part of the world and about myself.

What has led you to your current role?

I've always enjoyed helping people. In an informational interview with a college counselor about her role, I thought, "I want that job!" So I got an MS in Counseling with specializations in career and college counseling and did more informational interviews with career counselors. One at Stanford said, “Hey, we have a job opening here, you should apply.” 25 years later I still love meeting with Stanford alumni and students.

In your spare time, what do you enjoy doing?

In the last few years I've taken up painting. I'm not great at it yet, but I love doing it! I've been painting landscapes and still lifes. Abstracts elude me, but I’m practicing.